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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966595">Epiphany</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrelingkitten/pseuds/Tyrelingkitten'>Tyrelingkitten</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>50 Shades of Bae and other anecdotes [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twosetviolin, Video Blogging RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5 senses themes, Alternate Professions, Comedy, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Flash Fiction, M/M, Original Character(s), RPF, Slice of Life, alternative universe, themes, twosetviolin - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:48:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,226</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24966595</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tyrelingkitten/pseuds/Tyrelingkitten</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>5 times Eddy thinks he realizes something but it slips his mind.</p><p>Not beta'd.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eddy Chen/Brett Yang</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>50 Shades of Bae and other anecdotes [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1807177</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Thought.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>O&lt;--&lt; I've been struggling to write some of my previous works and end up switching  to like n fics at the same. The struggle to get them done these days mannnn.</p><p>@ Mon, I know I should work on my other fics lmao but I end up writing something new. </p><p>So yeah, this prompt list is the B-side of the <a href="http://5-sense.livejournal.com/">5 sense @ LJ</a> theme list but handles snippets for the 50 shades of Bae-verse.</p><p><b>Disclaimer:</b> This is RPF. If you're B &amp; E, please click close as soon as possible. Purely fictional.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Thought.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>“You don’t need another sketchbook.” Eddy clicks his tongue when he catches Brett putting an item into their shopping basket not on their grocery list.</p><p>“I need to organize my new project setup and get a visual map done.” Brett says defensively.</p><p>Eddy sighs. “You already have fifty perfectly usable sketchbooks at home to do that.”</p><p>“I do not!” Brett says. “I’ve like… only ten.” Brett adds quietly.</p><p>“Still enough sketchbooks to choose from.”</p><p>“The paper quality is excellent.” Brett points out. “I don’t have this one at home.”</p><p>“That’s not an excuse to buy more sketchbooks.” Eddy shakes his head. “We’re here to do groceries shopping and not stationery shopping, Brett.”</p><p>“It’s not like I’m asking <em>you </em>to buy the sketchbook for me. I have money on me too.”</p><p>“Okay, fine. Who am I to say to Bretty Yang’s sketchbook hoarding tendencies?”</p><p>“It’s not hoarding when I’m actually going to use it.”</p><p>“Well prove it, then, Brett. Draw something in one of them then.”</p><p>The excuses keep coming in as Brett tries to wheedle himself out of the challenge and justify his purchase at the same time. But Eddy doesn’t want to hear any of them, as he smirks and saunters off to find the items on their shopping list instead. He is planning to make a simple dinner before he heads off to take his night shift at the hospital. Something quick and filling, with less fuss, all of Brett’s favorites.</p><p>He looks over his shoulder to make sure he hasn’t lost Brett in another aisle and is relieved to see Brett is following him at a sedate pace, his brows wrinkled and his face lost in thought. The sketchbook is still in their grocery basket.</p><p>Brett continues to wear that thoughtful look well into the dinner time and then secludes himself into his office corner where he actually starts working on a drawing in one of his newly bought blank sketchbook, pausing only to wave Eddy good bye as Eddy heads off for his shift.  </p><p>Hours later when Eddy comes home from his eventful emergency room shift, he finds Brett slumped over on the dinner table, nursing a fresh-brewed coffee between his hands. They both look at each other, exhaustion written all over their expressions and postures. One from having finished a long shift, while the other most likely had pulled an all-nighter.</p><p>“Didn’t sleep?” Eddy takes juice out of the fridge and pours himself a cup, seating himself at the dinner table. He should shower immediately though, get himself refreshed and curl under piles of blankets to rest, but Brett staring off into distance stops him from making an exit.  </p><p>“What is sleep?” Brett snorts as he sips his coffee, humming low in the back of his throat.</p><p>“Working on that project of yours?” He asks lightly.</p><p>“Yea.” Brett shoots him a mild glare. “I’m done with the initial draft because someone challenged me.”</p><p>Eddy feels the smile on his face, a little petty one, and holds his cup close to his mouth to hide it. “Let’s go to bed then. You’ve worked hard.”</p><p>“I just had coffee.” Brett protests but doesn’t put much of a fight when Eddy herds him into bathroom to shower together.</p><p>Brett’s hands are covered in pen ink. Blue pen blobs and streaks peppered across his forearm, the inside of his palm, between his fingers, his wrist, and across unexpected parts, like his cheek, the nape of his neck and the dip of his hipbone. There are faint pen streaks at the corners of Brett’s mouth too, indicating that Brett habitually touches his face with his writing hand.</p><p>Eddy’s brain helpfully categorizes each and every part of Brett’s ink-streaked fingers with medical terminology, pauses to find the words for Brett’s lips and the back of his neck, skips them, and continues to delve into human anatomy while he helps Brett into his pajamas. That is usually how Eddy switches off from his work mood, naming every part of Brett in his mind.</p><p>“I can dress myself just fine.” Brett mumbles, stretching on his tiptoes to towel-dry Eddy’s hair with the best of his ability.</p><p>Eddy squawks when Brett purposefully digs too hard, so he swats the towel away, catches sight of his reflection where his hair is sticking up in every direction. He retaliates with messing with Brett’s freshly washed hair as well and they both end up swatting at each other like kids in the middle of water splashing war.</p><p>For all the playful energy they have exerted in the middle of the bathroom, eventually their actions turn slow and sluggish, lethargy settling into their shoulders. Brett is fighting to keep his eyes open, his head is nodding to the side like he is ready to fall asleep standing in the room, while Eddy has himself propped up against the sink to keep himself from doubling over.</p><p>“Bed now?” Brett asks, his tone nasal and quiet, which Eddy finds so endearing he leans in close and presses a kiss on Brett’s flushed cheek.</p><p>“Yeah. Let's go to bed.”  </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Memory</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Warning: foul language</p><p>Side-fic to 50 shades of Bae 1st chapter. :&gt;</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks to Mon for being encouraging. &lt;3</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Memory.</strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>It must have happened like this: </em>
</p><p>“Pretend to be my fake boyfriend, Chen, and I’ll pay for your dinner for a month.” Amy demanded as soon as she had herded him into a corner after their shared shift.</p><p>“Free dinner for a month?” He didn’t question why she wanted a fake boyfriend when he was pretty sure she already going steady with someone. Perhaps someone was harassing her for being who she was. “Sure. When do I start?”</p><p>Granted. He was tired and hungry, most likely lightheaded too after a long shift. And free dinner in this economy was always welcome.</p><p> </p><p>*</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>Or it must have happened like this:</em>
</p><p>“You should help me.” One of his friends, Amy had said, tugging on his sleeve.</p><p>Eddy had paused his typing and eyed her curiously. His after-shift notes could wait. There was a slight desperation in her voice, something he had only heard when they had exams and they were both crying their eyes out about med school over cheap greasy food and bubble tea. (Okay, to be fair, he didn’t cry per se. His eyes were getting teary a lot, too dry, too tired, until he finally got the guts to get his eyes checked.)</p><p>And then.</p><p>“Pretend to be my boyfriend.” She said bluntly.</p><p>“What.” He scratched at his forehead and stared at his friend like she said something incredibly stupid for her caliber. They were friends, but not <em>that </em>kinda close friends to start anything remotely romantic or fake romantic.</p><p>“You heard me. Be my fake boyfriend.” She was trying so hard not to dig her nails into his arm, but damn he’s feeling the tips of them cutting close through the fabric.</p><p>“Why would I do that?” Eddy squinted at her. “Are you and Cassy doing okay? What did you do?”</p><p>“Nothing.” Amy cried out. “Me and Cass are fine! But that’s not the point. The point is… I need a fake boyfriend to get someone off my back.”</p><p>He frowned in concern. “Is someone harassing you, Amy? Who is the asshole?”</p><p>“My mom is trying to set me up with some guy who buys her oranges.”</p><p>“Huh? Doesn’t she know about you’re gay?”</p><p>“No, not yet!” Amy said. “I was planning to introduce Cass to her gradually, to let her get used to her and then come out officially on Chinese New Year, but my mom found this guy and he is been messaging me for a while and asked me out.”</p><p>He still didn’t understand what the issue is. “You could’ve ghosted him, you know? Or say you’re not interested. Or like, you could have told him the truth that you’re taken and everything would have ended immediately.”</p><p>“The thing is—his mom and mine are now great W*ch*t friends. They know we’ve been chatting and that he asked me out. Mom has been nagging about him every day so she wouldn’t even listen if I told her I’m lesbian.”</p><p>“All right…awkward. So--?”</p><p>“So, I’ll pay you to pretend to be my boyfriend for that day.”</p><p>“You don’t even have money yet.” He pointed out baldly. “Still in student loan debt.”</p><p>They both winced at the same time because it’s not like Eddy’s situation was any better from hers, finance-wise.</p><p>“Come on, Eddy! Be a bro. I’ll make you the Made of Honor when Cassy and I get married in the Europe.”</p><p>“That’s so hilarious.” He said deadpan. “But not incentive enough for me to pretend to be your boyfriend.”</p><p>“You can beat him up for me if he’s a creep.”</p><p>“Since when have I become a bodyguard in your stead? You already know the way of the knife.”</p><p>“Come on, Eddy. I know you hang out in the gym too. Work with me, please. I’ll… I’ll ask Cassy to introduce you to one of her hot single friends!”</p><p>“Like I’m interested dating any of them.”</p><p>“Rude. Her friends are great people. You’re missing out on hot, established rich people in the dating pool.” Amy shot back. “You’re driving a hard bargain here, Eddy.”</p><p>“You need my help. I don’t necessarily need to help you at all. So what’s it going to be?”</p><p>“Fine, what do you want for your trouble?”</p><p>“I haven’t even said yes to this at all.”</p><p>“But you will, right? Please? Pretty please?” Amy shook his arm and put on her best teary look. Her arm strength is no joke. There’s a reason why she’s the class arm-wrestling champion because he felt like he was being tossed about like a sack of potatoes.</p><p>“All right, all right! Stop! Stop! Stop! Fine. I’ll be the better person here.”</p><p>Too little oxygen might have entered his brain for Eddy felt lightheaded and disoriented, and he may or may not have agreed to a ridiculous task.</p><p> </p><p>No matter which scenario that started it all, Eddy was on the road of becoming Amy Cheng’s fake boyfriend.</p><p>The time, date and place Amy and her guy-date had set up, was texted to Eddy not long after he had agreed to this ridiculous setup. The date coincided with Eddy’s day off and was set at a reasonable time when Eddy had already finished his morning routine aka caffeine intake.</p><p>He had picked out his most boyfriend-ish look from the closet while Amy explicitly coached him on how to scare the guy away without being too obvious. Whatever that meant. But she seemed to enjoy giving tips on how to be the next murderer way too much for Eddy’s liking. Perks of being an up and coming trauma surgeon, Eddy admired her for that. You’ve got to be careful of people who know where to cut out your spleen.</p><p> </p><p>When he finally arrived at the designated bubble tea shop, Eddy belatedly realized his friend hadn’t provided him any substantial info about the guy he was supposed to jilt in her stead.</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> Fuck I forgot to ask what’s his name</p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong> </span>How does he look like?</p>
  <p><strong><span class="u">Eddy:</span> </strong>What’s he wearing?</p>
  <p>Amy: His name is Brett.</p>
  <p><strong><span class="u">Eddy:</span></strong> Cool</p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> Got a pic of him for me?</p>
  <p>Amy: Nope.</p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> :v how am I supposed to know who to approach</p>
  <p>Amy: he’s short and wears glasses.</p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> not enough information. Too many glasses in the shop.</p>
  <p>Amy: His name is Brett Yang and he is supposed to look like he’s dead inside a kid body.</p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> wtf does that mean</p>
  <p> </p>
</blockquote><p>Eddy squinted his eyes through the display window to see if he could find anyone similar to her description.</p><p>And there was.</p><p>Sitting in the center of the bubble tea shop, was a familiar face.</p><p>His breath got caught between the back of his throat and his chest.</p><p>Eddy did not expect to see a face from his obscure past to catch up to him. </p><p>There was someone in there that looked like a Brett—the same Brett Yang from eons ago, buried deep in the depths of his childhood memories that were once filled with violin and classical music, with pillow forts and Nintendo games.</p><p>If the phenomenon of friend at first sight existed, Brett would have been Eddy’s first. The kind of friend you’d feel instant connection with when first and second encounters within a week would have been something like a trope from a cheesy teenaged movie. The kind of friend that Eddy had attached himself too closely, almost jealously, during his formative years, following him around like a puppy nipping at his heels. </p><p>
  <em>Fuuuuuuuuuuuck.</em>
</p><p>If there was a world record for his situation, Eddy would have won the world’s shortest-timed, fake boyfriend ever. His job ended before it even started and the script he had carefully prepared beforehand, flew out of the window as he approached the table.</p><p>Instead, Eddy went with an uncool intro and sat down at the table without invitation. </p><p>“Excuse me. You’re Brett Yang, right?” </p><p> </p><p>*</p>
<p></p><blockquote>
  <p><strong><span class="u">Eddy:</span></strong> I quit! I am hereby no longer your fake bf.</p>
  <p>Amy: Did you get bullied? :o </p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> I went on a date </p>
  <p>Amy: ........ </p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> with your blind date ;)</p>
  <p>Amy: who t f is this person?</p>
  <p>Amy: did your phone get hacked? that emoji is creepy, Eddy</p>
  <p><span class="u"><strong>Eddy:</strong></span> I bought him bubble tea &lt;3</p>
  <p><strong><span class="u">Eddy:</span></strong> [picture sent] </p>
  <p><strong><span class="u">Eddy:</span></strong> uwu </p>
  <p>Amy: [pikachu face] </p>
  <p> </p>
</blockquote>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading!</p><p>O&lt;--&lt; me right now.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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